Discuss: Think about how Keya looked for shady spots where she
could walk barefoot. Look at these cows. What do you notice? Can
you explain what the cows are doing?

Here’s what we noticed. The tree blocks the sun and makes a shadow.
The cows are all standing in that shadow. Just like people, cows like
shade on a hot day. It’s cooler in the shade!

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Step
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We don’t have time to grow trees in the pasture. But looking at trees
can help us figure out why they are good at making shade. Take a look
at these trees and their shadows. Discuss:

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The skinny tree makes a skinny shadow. Farmer Josie’s cows need a
wide shadow so more than one cow can be in the shade. So Farmer
Josie needs a wide Shade Maker.

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Step
03/11

Take a look at these two trees. Cows need to be able to get into the
shade that’s under the tree. Discuss:

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04/11

Both trees make big patches of shade. But tree #1 is so short! It
would be much easier for cows to gather under tree #2. We think a
Shade Maker should be tall.

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Step
05/11

Take a look at these two umbrellas. Discuss:

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06/11

A tiny umbrella makes a tiny shadow, too small for a cow! To help a
couple of cows stay cool, you need a big wide Shade Maker, more like
the big umbrella.

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Step
07/11

Farmer Josie had an old blanket. She used a couple of poles to make
the blanket into a tent, like this. Discuss:

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08/11

We thought that tent was too small for the cows. So Farmer Josie
made some changes. She used taller poles and made a tent that
looked like this. Discuss:

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Farmer Josie’s new tent seemed too skinny to us for the cows! We
thought there might be a way to do better. Discuss:

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10/11

We thought she could use the blankets to make a roof and use the
poles to hold it up. But that’s just our idea. There are often many
good ways to solve a problem.

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Maybe you have other ideas you’d like Josie to try. If there’s time,
draw a picture of your idea. Then spend some time trying to figure
out how to make it even better.

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Activity: Where Is It Hot? Where Is It Not?

Now that you know where it's too hot to walk barefoot, you can also figure out when to sit if you want to cool off on a hot day.

Take a look at the photo on the next page and think about clues that tell you where it’s hot and where it’s cool.
Discuss: Where would you go if you wanted to stay cool? Where would you go if you wanted to warm up? What clue are you using to make your choice?

Here's what we think

We know that sunshine warms things up.

So if we want to cool off, we look for a shady spot. If we want to warm up, we find a place in the sun.

Next time you're outside on a sunny day, compare the temperature in the sun with the temperature in the shade. Do you feel a difference?

thin

1 of 14

not very long from side to side

wide

2 of 14

long from side to side

short

3 of 14

not very long from top to bottom

tall

4 of 14

long from top to bottom

small

5 of 14

not large in size

big

6 of 14

large in size, something that is wide, tall or long

hot

7 of 14

very warm

cool

8 of 14

to make something colder

Sun

9 of 14

the large ball of light in the sky during the day

sunlight

10 of 14

light from the Sun

shade

11 of 14

a dark, cool place that is not directly in the sunlight

shadow

12 of 14

a dark shape made when an object is in front of a light source

design

13 of 14

to make a plan for creating or doing something

engineer

14 of 14

a person who uses science to come up with solutions to problems

Image & Video Credits

Mystery Science respects the intellectual property rights of the owners of visual assets. We make every effort to use images and videos under appropriate licenses from the owner or by reaching out to the owner to get explicit permission. If you are the owner of a visual and believe we are using it without permission, please contact us—we will reply promptly and make things right.

Other

Cows in shade by Imagery provided by tonyoquias/Depositphotos.com

How could you walk barefoot across hot pavement without burning your feet?

Vocabulary